Warm wear Jackets

[corvus]

I n my pursuit of lighter weight gear I researched top quality water resistant shell down jackets ,the best I could come up with was TNF Nuptse at around $200.00 US when I checked the advertised weight it stated 782g so back to my Cigana Australian made Windbloc Polertec water resistant jacket with lots of pockets and street credibility, guess what 753g and easily washable. so my point is Fleece is still very good value warm and not as heavy as we think and it will not lose total thermal performance if saturated.

[norts]

I have a Mountain Designs Twynam($249) wind fleece jacket, weighs about 700gm. I have been very happy with it.
I have just bought a Mont Helium Jacket ($225) it is not wind proof but it weighs only 325gms and packs up very small. Most down jackets I have looked at are about 700-800gms but are probably warmer than the Helium.
I got it to replace my fleece not to get something warmer than the Twynam
Only used it once so far but was very good. Not something you would wear while actually walking with a pack.

Roger

[whiskeylover]

I find that the down jackets pack up really small so you have more room in pack for treats and other goodies ,also they seem to be a lot warmer when used with a outer jacket ,seems to keep all the air around you much warmer than a polar fleece jacket. would need both at Liawenee Today .I find that both have there place ,they have different values and you can set up a matrix to see which suits the conditions that you will use it for .It is surprising how light some of the polarfleece jackets are, but they are very bulky( no room for wine or other body warming essential liquids).

[Penguin]

I love my down jacket. Bought it on a whim. Fantastic.

I have a Mont. Weighs in at a heft 605gms, but I do not need to take any other warm clothing apart form one lite and a heavier thermal. Stood in snow & wind toasty warm. Great pillow. A real convert.

In summer this is only emergency cold weather gear that I will take in Tassie beyond merino thermal leggings. Oh and gortex coat and pants, and gloves, and windproof beanie and.......

[Nuts]

..

[corvus]

Nuts how would you rate TNF Nuptse and would you wear it while wearing a pack

[stu]

For lightest weight possible synthetic jackets are probably your best bet. I have just bought an Outdoor Research Fraction jacket from http://www.mountaingear.com for U$100 (on sale from U$160) only 405g! Unlike down, synthetics retain their insulating properties when wet without additional bulk as is the case with fleece garments which probably near double in weight when saturated. This jacket packs down to the size of a grapefruit, and for how light it feels on you is amazingly warm. It also has a hood which I always look for in a technical piece these days. I have only just tried it this past weekend on the Ben Lomond plateau during the day (at lunch etc) & camping down near Fingal Saturday night - which would have been about -5; worn in my crummy sleeping bag I was not cold. Very happy with this piece. Lots of other similar ones available - Patagonia, The North face, Mountain Hardwear, Arcteryx all have similar ones, this the best buy as it is on sale; Th Arcteryx version (The Dually jacket) retailing for U$475!!! - ridiculous.

[corvus]

Hey nuts you lost me,what fill should I look for .
corvus

[Nuts]

Yeah OK, my preference is to try and keep gear as versatile as possible.

I use a synthetic filled jacket(NF redpoint) and a down vest(mont) rather than a single layer.

Both together they keep me warm out in the open, in a breeze, into the minuses.

Still gives the option of wearing one of them under a rain shell (though I rarely do) or wearing the synthetic in the sleeping bag if necessary (while using the down vest as a pillow )

With the synthetic you have a nice shell and some backup if it gets wet - with the down you get the Real warmth when the temp. drops...

So/ that's me!

[Nuts]

ie:BOTH

[corvus]

So 50% pecan and 50% peanut Eh!!

[Nuts]

Yes, that's it, best taken with shells intact!

[corvus]

Looks like I check out TNF Redpoint then.

[Nuts]

http://search.backcountry.com/exec/?mv_ ... nt&x=0&y=0

You could always get their vest And jacket...

[corvus]

Nuts you are a bad influence you MADE me DOIT I bought both the Redpoint Jacket and the Aconcaqua Down Vest

[Nuts]

Nooooo Corvus, i meant the Rudepoint jacket and the Acorn Quakular vest.....

[corvus]

Guess what I saved $56.27 off retail price and will land two items for a fraction of the Local cost which really saddens me as I am not convinced that our retailers are overcharging (Kathmandu excepted) it all comes down to
1 economy of scale
2 high rent in our CBD's
3 low wages for USA retail employees
4 competition
5 the fashion whims of a huge consumer base
Just my 2 bobs worth

[Nuts]

Doesn't that all add up to overcharging? They can put things on sale every month! Why are people turning away? No-one in particular, perhaps we are all overpaid? Well done with the jackets, personally think its a good combo much more practical than the michelin man style. If I remember back 6or7 years I think I paid $220 for my Mont down vest from a local retailer!

[Nuts]

PS. Let me know if you aren't happy with the redpoint

[corvus]

Got my new Down vest today ,it was fortuitous that I was in a position to test it this afternoon and it performed as stated appears well made and feels good PM me for details .

[corvus]

Need to comment that that my purchase from TNF could not proceed as they now cannot ship to OZ ,I ended up getting a Lowe Alpine Polarstar vest 600g loft landed in OZ from USA for $87.00 AU and I bought a Roman synthetic fill Jacket like the TNF one locally for $108.00 saving $105.00 on the purchase of two items . Went into a TNF retailer in Launi on Sat and was gobsmacked by the $249.95 price on a TNF Down vest.
If I had been able to proceed with my TNF purchase from USA I would have landed them here for $259.00(which I was happy to pay) au ,so it must raise the question where the mark up stands ,I know we dont have the same economy of scale but who is making the profit of around 100%+ mu .
Just a thought
corvus

[Joe]

I bought a Mont Down Jacket today....my god its nice. Hydronaught fabric is ok-ish in rain...was outside work a bit today and the water just ran straight off. I cant believe just how nice the Down Puffer jackets are to wear though...i cant seem to take this one off. I put it on when the day started cooling off at work...and at end of day cut tags and paid for it!

[corvus]

Wilderness Expeditions Tasmania is the local Devonport based tour company and I decided to contact them and check out the gear they provide as they had excess for sale .
What I saw was well selected gear suitable for the less experienced to use and I would be happy to recommend them to anyone.
corvus

[geoffmallo]

I love my down jacket (Mountain Hardware sub zero I think). It's a bit warm for Aussie though and too heavy so I'm planning on making http://thru-hiker.com/kits/whitney_kit.php

At 250gm it should be lightweight an I think about the right warmth for all but the coldest winter trips.

[Nuts]

Iv'e used thru-hiker (thanks roger) they are a good bunch. That does seem a lot of work to make a (not so inexpensive) jacket though? I think it would still be a bit warm to carry as a for walks in Oz?

It's funny, thinking of it, how well puffy jackets sum up the minimalist debate. Sure you can carry a smaller jacket, but when it is really cold, there is Nothing as good as a big jacket stuffed full of the finest feathers..... but then it is going to be as big as some sleeping bags....you'll need a bigger pack....etc. Then! If you have the jacket, gee the 800fill pants would be great (on the odd occasion!), packs getting heavier, better have heavy boots....

.

[SurferShane]

Just looking at what Nuts has to say above about combining a synthetic fill parka and a down vest. I have the exact same set-up though rarely ever need to pack the down vest up here in NSW. Nevertheless, I found that my Mountain Designs parka synthetic parka is super lightweight and folds into its own small pocket as does the down vest. The way I look at it is that the synthetic parker it is so light it is nearly always worth packing it “just in case”. I have used it in Tassie in winter in the snow with thermals and an icebreaker jumper underneath and was very warm.

For bushwalking, the advantage I see with the synthetic is its performance in wet conditions where down might become a burden. Likewise, a down vest is easier to protect from water and will keep the chest area toasty. As an underlayer in cold condtions I always carry either a polar fleece or merino jumper and thermal top/bottoms depending on the season. Now all I need to do is get to Tassie more often to give the gear a run!

I also noticed that Mountain Designs currently have the newer Bonfire synthetic parker on special for $110 (usually retails $199.95).

[Nuts]

Just got a 850 fill MontBell down vest. These things are crazy light- they take a while to reach the ground if dropped! Like 850+ fill sleeping bags, you hardly know you have them....

[corvus]

Nuts that 850 fill Mont vest you bought what does it weigh as my Lowe Alpine 600g fill vest weighs 550g which is more than 1/2 the weight of my sleeping bag btw where did you get it.

[Nuts]

I got the U.L inner vest:

http://www.e-omc.com/catalog/advanced_s ... ll&x=0&y=0

My scales wont measure it

[whiskeylover]

Hey Corvus,
What's going on there? When I did maths a 600g fill vest plus the inner and outer material should weigh more than 600g, not 550g - has a lot of down been escaping and floating around the whiskey den? The quality of this vest may be questionable - maybe try a different brand. My mountain designs vest weighs 410g with a dryloft outer and is very warm - it's older so it's the flat quiet, rather than noisy dryloft. Not sure though what fill weight originally was.